My RA and OA.

Hi, ! It's good to see you posting again! However, I wish it were for better reasons. I am so sorry you are dealing with RA and OA right now. Are you dealing with active flares with both conditions?

Dealing with OA and RA is definitely not for the faint of heart, but please know you are not alone in this. We have at least a few community members that have both conditions. I know you have mentioned dealing with OA before, so I don't want to re-share links you may have already read.

Are you on any medications for your RA? How about your OA? Are you experienced some advanced deterioration of joints due to either condition? Are you on any pain medications at this time?

Sorry if these questions seem intrusive.

Please know we are here for you and I am ready to provide links and information, if you would like.

You're not alone!

Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.

Dear neadmorehelp,
I too have both RH and OH. Sometimes the OH can take my breath away from the hot stabbing pain. It’s certainly no fun having both RH and OH, but honestly, the OH can be more debilitating. The first knuckles on my left hand ache 24/7, whereas the RH pain comes and goes. I hope you and your doctor can find a plan to help you manage both.
Best,
KMFC

Hey First and foremost (as you can see) you are not alone! I think every single one of us who has RA has been where you are. When the bad times come it always feels like they will never end, and it can really mess with your head. Well I am here to tell you that, eventually, something will change. Will it get better? Maybe not, but it will be different and, frankly, sometimes that's enough. Even if the pain just moves from one joint to another it can be a kind of relief. Even though my disease is under control and I've been dealing with it for almost four decades I still get those days and weeks where it feels like exactly what you said - I need help and I can't take it any more. I actually have medication for when it gets real bad like that, you know, just to get me over the hump, which is definitely something you can discuss with your rheumatologist, taking an anti-anxiety med for the real bad days. Now, if pain is the thing that is really making it difficult for you then it may be time to consider seeing a pain specialist. When I decided to do that and found one that I liked after trying a few, it was more or less life changing. We came up with a pain med regimen that gave me back a quality of life that let me actually do things and it was enough to change the mental face of my disease, so, that's something to consider. Above all else, though, just know that what you are feeling is normal, it's real, and it can be debilitating but, as I said, you👏 are 👏not 👏alone👏. Lean on us and any others around you, it's the reason we are here. Any of the people on this thread or site will be happy to do what they can. Keep on keepin' on, DPM

Hi . As others have noted, you definitely are not alone. I've commented on numerous occasions about the fact that the emotional aspects of chronic conditions like RA often take a backseat to the physical, but they are very real and it is all intertwined. I certainly can't discuss the issue any better than and the experience he brings, but to follow-up on what he said I want to share this article from our editorial team on managing the emotional challenges and stress, which discusses in more detail some techniques and treatments: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living-with-ra/managing-emotional-problems-and-stress. Wishing you the best and please know that this community is here for you. Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)